Wake County Information Fair Aimed at Making Adoption Easy; Helping Children Find Forever Families

Adoption Info Fair

Anyone who has ever thought about opening their home and heart to adopting a child knows finding the right resources and navigating the process can be daunting. As part of an initiative to provide increase guidance for facilitating adoptions, Wake County is inviting potential parents to an Adoption Information Fair this Saturday, Nov. 19.

Families at any point in the adoption process will find the information they need to enhance their adoption experience at this event. The fair is hosted annually in celebration of National Adoption Day and this year will take place on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. inside the Wake County Commons Building, at 4011 Carya Drive in Raleigh. Everyone is welcome, including those who may not live in Wake County.

“A lot of people are curious about adoption but can be intimidated by the process, but we are working to change that and remove those barriers,” said Shinica Thomas, Vice Chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners. “So many local youths need a family, so if you’ve even been thinking of adoption, we encourage you to stop by and get the facts about our services and these deserving children.”

Currently, Wake County has 181 youth in our care with a goal of adoption, with 121 legally cleared to be adopted. There is a particular need for families willing to adopt older children. There are 61 kids between the ages of 4 and 12, and 39 between the ages of 13 and 17 waiting to be adopted.

The event will kick off with an information presentation at 11 a.m. before transitioning to a vendor fair from 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

In addition to learning about the adoption process at the event, several adoptive families will be available to discuss their personal experiences, provide insights and answer questions. Attendees can learn about children in Wake County currently waiting for their forever family.

Those attending can meet with Wake County adoption and post-adoption staff as well as youth engaged in Wake County’s LINKS Program, a program for kids and teen who have experience in foster care.

Attendees must register to attend by Wednesday, Nov. 16, and can do so here.

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